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Trails and Greenways Program - Internship 

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Washington, DC

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), a nonprofit organization with more than 160,000 members and supporters, is the nation's largest trails organization dedicated to connecting people and communities by creating a nationwide network of public trails, many from former rail lines and connecting corridors.

The Program Department's Trail Development/Policy Team has one to two full- or part-time internship positions available for the Fall/Spring/Summer semesters. 

Interns will be -- assisting staff members as follows:
  • Assist in the creation and maintenance of technical assistance related documents, reports and web content.
  • Assist in the maintenance of RTC's trail database. Specific duties may include updating the database with rail-trail news and reviewing/updating trail and rail corridor information within the database.
  • Assist with national trail-building projects. Specific duties may include GIS mapping of trail projects and project-related research.
  • Assist with trail-related administrative duties as required
  • Interns will participate as full-time staff members, including attending staff meetings, retreats and social gatherings. Hours are flexible to accommodate class schedule(s) or other commitments. Generally, hours are four days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Qualified candidates -- are undergraduate seniors and graduate students seeking on-the-job experience, or professionals looking to hone their skill set. In all internships, excellent writing and communication skills are necessary. RTC operates off a Microsoft Office platform, and experience in Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook is expected. Applicants should be task oriented and highly organized, and possess a strong interest in environmental issues or related studies, including trail development.

While RTC internships are unpaid, individuals will enjoy the benefits of working in RTC’s National Headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C., in a casual but professional environment.  Our office is near the Red line at the Dupont Circle Metro stop and the Blue and Orange Lines at the Foggy Bottom Metro stop. Cultural attractions include the Smithsonian Institution, historical monuments, and the trendy Dupont Circle and Georgetown neighborhoods.

Interested candidates should -- send a cover letter and résumé indicating a “Trails and Greenways Internship” preference, including how you learned of this announcement, to the following contact:

Human Resources Manager
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
The Duke Ellington Building
2121 Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20037
Email: elton@railstotrails.org